PACS 002 8:00 Mass Media and Popular Culture This course ...

PACS 0028:00 Mass Media and Popular CultureThis course introduces students to the field of mass media and cultural studies. Thecourse is designed to help students develop an ability to look critically at messages ofmass media including television, radio, internet, movies, and documentary as well asmedia dependents such as advertising. The central focus of the course is on examininghow mass media messages playa role in our lives. Students will also be introduced tomass media theories and the impacts of new media. The course has the following learningobjectives:I) Understanding the American mass media and their powerful effects2) Understanding the relationships between mass media and American culture3) Developing critical thinking ability of analyzing media messages4) Developing critical writing ability of analyzing media messages8:00 Technology and SocietyThis course explores the symbiosis of our society and technology-the origins of majortechnological developments and their impact on society, history and culture.Technological developments in ancient, medieval, and modern times are considered withrespect to such areas as power and energy, materials, machinery, agriculture,transportation, human health, and communication. Students will read essays onintellectual viewpoints of our technology and society by world-renowned presidents,scientists, intellectuals, attorneys and corporate leaders. The course has the followinglearning objectives:1) To teach students the circumstances, people, and events that led to the development ofmodern technology.2) To provide a history of people and technology, i.e., to provide students anunderstanding of how we got here.3) To explain the effects oftechnology on our society and society's effects ontechnological developments.4) To provide students an understanding of some of the most technological things wecurrently use.8:00 (Honors) The Pursuit of HappinessWhile stated as a fundamental objective in The DeclarationofIndependence, happinessfor many remains an elusive goal. Students in this course will explore both private andpublic happiness by looking briefly at history, examining recent research work in fieldsranging from psychology to economics, observing current social trends, and readingseveral forms of literature. Through this study, we will explore ways individuals canmaximize happiness by means of self-knowledge, love, optimism, gratitude, virtue, betteruses of time, meaningful work, play, and public life. What sorts of social policies shouldcome out of these? In turn, how does social policy itself contribute to unhappiness and/orhappiness? Beginning with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we will discuss the framework1

for a personally happy and meaningful life. Ending with Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, wewill affinl1 the connection between self-knowledge and the common good as enacted inpublic ritual. In addition to the reading, students will keep a personal "happiness"journal, will write a "self-analysis" paper based on their journals, and will ultimatelycreate a research paper aimed at redesigning an aspect of contemporary society in orderto maximize happiness. The thematic connection to Pacific Seminar I is primarily toprivate life and civil society, but there are also connections to education and the rightsand responsibilities of citizens.8:00 Lifeways for a Changing WorldUndergraduates beginning their university studies have successfully mastered thepriorities and practices of contemporary education in the United States. They can beexpected to bring those same perspectives and skills to their gradual mastery of theirchosen disciplines, and then carry them on into their future careers. This poses a problem.The values and assumptions of the global modem industrial world embedded in oureducation system are directly implicated in the pattern of worldwide ecological crisisconfronting human civilization and all other life on Earth in the 21 sl century. For thoseconcerned about the future, the wisdom of the world's indigenous peoples, arising from acosmology of interrelatedness and rooted in an intimate knowledge of place, is emergingas an indispensable source of hope in the search for ways to transfonn humanity'spresence in and to our planetary home. This course will explore living Native Americantraditions of learning and teaching as a means of engaging and supporting students in aprocess of inquiry and reflection toward a new understanding of their personal and sharedplace in an endangered world and an expanded understanding of their previous, currentand continuing education. The instructor specializes in the mutually transfonnativeintegration of "traditional" and "modem" curricula, with many years ofIndian Educationprogram development experience in tribal and public schools.8:00 Beatniks, Hippies, and CoolThis course investigates the question "What is a Good Society?" through exploration ofthe cultural and musical climate in San Francisco, California from 1945 to 1970. Themusical products of this time and place were influenced by a worldview that was criticalof the mainstream concept of a "Good Society" and played a significant part inexpressing opposition to this view and in suggesting alternatives to it. The fonnation ofboth individual and group identity in a Good Society will be critically examined throughthe analysis of the ideas of "Beat" poets and philosophers, West Coast Jazz, andPsychedelic rock music created in, and influenced by, San Francisco from 1945 to 1970.8:00 Economics and Social WelfareThis course will focus on contributions economists have about economic organizationand economic policy in response to the question, "what is a good society?" We will lookat policy on markets-do we get the best results if we let markets run without regulation?When should the government step in and regulate markets? What can it do when thereare problems of pollution, scarce resources, ignorant consumers, dangerous conditions,2

and collusion? We will look at problems of workers-is society improved by policy ondiscrimination, collective action, and minimum wages? Can these problems be bestaddressed locally, nationally or internationally? We will look at problems of entirecountries. What can a country do to develop? Should it protect its own industries orengage in international competition, joining the WTO? We will look at what is the bestmacro-economy. Should policy fight inflation, unemployment or stagnation?8:00 (Honors) Frankenstein's DreamsThis course will explore the diverse alterations individuals make to their appearance orperformance in an effort to improve their social status. We will also investigate thepotential for science and technological innovations to influence the sort of changesindividuals may seek for themselves or their children in the future. The alterations wediscuss may be of a temporary sort, as occurs when athletes consume performanceenhancingdrugs, or permanent, as is the case when parents select for the sex and otherphysical characteristics of their offspring. Students will be expected to rigorouslyexplore the potential impacts of such "enhancements" on human interactions and thus thestructure of our society. This course is intended to extend student inquiry from PacificSeminar I into the role of our civil interactions with one another and the natural world inthe making of a good society.8:00 Global Warming: Is it Hot in Here?Is the earth heating up? Is human activity contributing to global climate change? Whyshould we be concerned? What should we do about it? These are questions thatinformed citizens need to be able to answer. The answers to these questions affect how a"good society" operates. The objective of this course is to address the science of globalwarming (including the factors that contribute to climate change and the evidence forglobal climate change in the past and present). In addition we will investigate presentand future impacts of global warming and consider how societies should address theissue. The primary objective is that students will be well enough informed about thescience of global warming to be able determine fact from fiction and engage in informeddebate about the policy implications.8:00 Who Gets What and Why?"Most people, of course, are aware ofthefact that some people are rich while others arepoor. But people in general are usually less aware of the rather systematic social forcesthat structure such outcomes .... Most people too are aware of the fact that someindividuals have more influence than others, with the power to shape national issues ofwar and peace, economic well-being, and general social welfare. But, again, people areusually much less aware of how a system of stratification form the basis of suchinfluence." Harold Kerbo, Social Stratification and Inequality (2006)Income inequality in the United States has grown since the 1980's. Althoughexperiencing the lowest unemployment rate in decades and longest running economic3

expansion, the United States continues to have a greater poverty rate than otherindustrialized nations, even among people who work full-time. Downsizing, outsourcing,lower wages, and reduced benefits have led to continued inequality. What has happenedto create this environment? Who is affected by our current state? What can be done tocreate change? In this course, social stratification becomes a lens through whichopportunity, life expectancy, health, social position, power, and wealth are explored. Theinfluence of social stratification on events such as war, peace, economicexpansion/stagnation, employment, and government policy is assessed, leading to adeeper understanding of social stratification and its role within American society.8:00 The Politics of PunkThis course will explore the ethos of punk rock as it attempts to interrogate, deconstructand ultimately reconstruct the reigning status quo. Punk goes beyond protest in itsattempt to subvert authority that is perceived as corrupt, immoral or misguided. We willutilize readings, music, film excerpts and class discussions to develop an understandingof the punk movement in a historical context as well as its current embodiment in musicsubcultures such as straight edge and hard-core punk. Students will do both individualand group assignments, which will include writing, research, argumentation and a groupproject. We will begin with defining both authority and rebellion in a culture andconsider various critical responses to authority. Students will investigate and discuss themoral, ethical, social, cultural and legal agendas surrounding the punk movement. Thecourse work will blend a combination of the punk DIY approach with a seriousassessment of which elements of the punk agenda are useful in constructing a goodsociety and challenging what is perceived as an unjust social, political or culturalestablishment. Creativity will be encouraged in the development of articulate punkmanifestos supporting student's arguments. Ultimately, the class will utilize the punkmovement to teach students how passionate, informed writing (be it music, poetry,speech or essays) can be the vehicle for change when the writer is fully committed to hisor her message.8:00 Global Politics of the BodyThis seminar focuses on the body. Although so intimate and private, our bodies link us toa variety of political, economic, and cultural projects. From the notorious eugenicsmovement to more quotidian modes of reproductive control, managing bodies has been afundamental feature of both past and present societies around the world. The body is alsoa site where we fiercely claim our sense of ownership and define our own identitythrough working out, dieting, piercing, and tattooing, to name just a few ways we modifyand control our bodies. In this seminar, we will use a global comparative framework toexplore how different societies have defined a "good society" through managing thebody. In particular, we will analyze how medicine, in conjunction with the family, thestate, the market, and religious and educational organizations, has created the normativebody and what forms of technology have been deployed in the process. We will alsoexamine how citizens, patients, and consumers have sought to improve society throughusing our bodies as sites of activism and have both participated in and resisted the4

process of creating the normative body, both as individuals and as a collective. Coursetopics will include organ transplantation, eugenics, sexuality, reproductive politics, publichealth, and epidemics. By focusing on the body, where the public and the private meet,this seminar will explore the critical intersection of two major themes introduced inPacific Seminar I, namely, Family & Civil Society and Politics, Law & Citizenship.8:00 Creating Health and Well-BeingThis course focuses on current thought and practices available to consciously create ourideal levels of health and well being. It assumes the multi-dimensional nature of "beinghuman" and incorporates a holistic perspective for integrating our physical, emotional,mental and spiritual "selves". Emphasis is placed on are-conceptualization of health andwell being, as well as of the mind-body relationship. Major areas explored includealternative health care systems (e.g. acupuncture, biofeedback, homeopathy, naturopathicthought, network chiropractics) and various types of energy and bodywork (e.g. chakrabalancing, light therapy, massage, reflexology, reiki,). Example topics are:1. Balancing food, herbs, and supplements for a healthy lifestyle2. The dynamics of energy, vibration, and health/healing3. Specific techniques for consciously creating a life of heath and well beingThe course format combines readings, discussions, and guest speakers. Experientiallearning opportunities represent a significant component in an effort to familiarize thestudent with alternative practices for assuming self-responsibility for health and wellbeing.8:00 Myth Conceptions: Old and NewSome people believe we live in a "myth-less" society. They think myths are found amongancient, superstitious, or traditional folk, and not among modem, scientific people. Thiscourse is founded on the contrary assumption that every society has myths; it isinevitable. Although not presuming to enumerate which myths constitute a good society,the course will show that "mythologically-aware" citizens are one of its necessaryingredients. After we consider the parameters of the category "myth," we will readseveral narratives (occasionally with accompanying images) from the Ancient Near East,including the Enuma Elish and texts trom the Hebrew Bible, among others. By readingthese ancient myths in their historical context along with their differing versions, we willsee that myths were employed to construct and support ancient social identity, culturalprestige, and various politico-religious programs. The issues and themes we investigate inthe ancient setting will then be used analogically to understand modem manifestations ofmythmaking, especially in America, but also to some extent in other modem socialgroups (e.g., Islamicist movements). Far from static, we will learn that "myth" is anideological battle ground open to contestation, alteration, and usurpation. This coursebuilds on the themes in Pacific Seminar I of Education and Authority and Politics, Law,and Citizenship 1.5

8:00 Film CensorshipIn this course, we will study the history of film censorship around the world in order tounderstand how censorship has shaped-and continues to shape-the art and industry ofmoving images. The course will include screenings of important and controversialmovies from film history, as well as primary and secondary readings that will help us tounderstand what makes it on screen and what doesn't. We will study foundational textsand hot-spots in cinematic history, including the Production Code Administration thatregulated Hollywood films from the 1930s-50s and the move to a ratings system in the1960s. Although the first public screening of a motion picture took place in 1895, itwasn't until a 1952 censorship case that the Supreme Court gave film first-amendmentprotection in the United States. How does censorship shape and respond to differentcommunities and modes of interpretation or reception? Censorship is usually understoodas the repression of content considered sexually or politically dangerous, but Hollywoodalso' censors' itself in other ways to fit accepted genres and maximize box officereceipts. Where do we draw the line between political censorship and studio decisionsmade to maximize a film's audience base and profitability? We will also study the formsof censorship at work in other national or alternative cinemas, including "indie" films andfilms from Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Students will write a researchpaper about a film controversy of their choice and present their findings to the class.8:00 Is Religion Good for Women?This course will explore the roots of organized religion and its effects on women insociety. Lives of women have been shaped, molded and informed by the role womenhave played in religion, from the stories of scripture to the first allowed ordained womanpastor, to those still kept outside the ranks of priesthood. This course will explore Judeo­Christian holy writings to seek out roots of the current system of patriarchy and genderroles and will continue through the early formation of the Christian church and ask "whathappened to the women?" This question will guide us as we read primary sources(translated), scholarly commentary and exegesis as well as both social and culturalevidence of the religious effects on women in their domestic, professional and civic lives.Since organized religion often functions as its own form of education, has its owndefinitions of family and civil society, has significant effects on politics, and implies aview of humans' relation to the natural world, this course will refer back to the mainthemes of Pacific Seminar 1.8:00 (Honors) Crime, Responsibility, PunishmentThe general question motivating this course is: How does a good society approachpunishment? Roughly 25,000,000 crimes are documented each year in America. Morethan 2,000,000 people are currently in America's prisons and jails. Roughly 1/5th arethere on drug-related charges. Black males are incarcerated at seven times the rate ofwhite males. California alone has more than 30 state prisons, by most accounts allovercrowded; and names like San Quentin and Folsom - not to mention Alcatraz - areculturally iconic. Recently, the American government has held people in detention6

abroad for multiple years at a time without charge or trial. It is thus no surprise thatwhile philosophical discussion of punishment has literally ancient origins, punishmentremains even today a topic that generates lively philosophical debate. We'll jump intothis debate! Specific questions to be considered include: Is knowingly and intentionallybreaking the law ever morally pennissible? Is "retribution" a legitimate justification forpunishment, or is this just a fancy word for morally unworthy lust for revenge? Shouldfactors such as a troubled upbringing, impainnent due to substance abuse, youth, a verylow IQ, or insanity, at least partly excuse a crime? How do powerful philosophicalchallenges to the notion of "free will" bear on punishment? Rather than being"punished," should criminals be "treated" (as if criminality is a kind of "sickness")?What role, if any, should the victim (or victim's loved ones) have in detenniningpunishment? Is capital punishment ever morally justified? What about torture? We'llexplore the issues through literature, film, journalistic pieces, Supreme Court decisions,and fascinating readings from the world of philosophy. This will all tie into PacificSeminar I discussions on the purpose oflaw and government as well as on citizens' rightsand responsibilities. It is anticipated that a service-learning element of the course willinvolve volunteering at a local youth detention center.8:00 Culture and Belief"And the world, to each individual, means the part of it with which he comes in contact;his party, his sect, his church, his class of society ...and it never troubles him that mereaccident has decided which of these numerous worlds is the object of his reliance. "John Stuart Mill, On LibertyHow does our cultural background influence our beliefs and values, and thus ourbehavior? Or, to paraphrase Mill, what is our "world" and how does it shape us?And how do other "worlds" vary from ours? How do belief systems, values andbehaviors vary across cultures? This class will explore these questions with a three-foldapproach. First, we will look at the "hard facts" and examine cross-cultural research,mainly from the fields of psychology and anthropology, which has relevance to thequestion of the nature of good social relationships in good societies. Students will learnabout the most commonly studied constructs in cross-cultural research, such asindividualism/collectivism, as well the distinctions between cross-cultural psychology,cultural psychology, and indigenous psychologies. Secondly, we will combine those hardfacts with contributions from fiction (literature and film) that shed further light on thequestions of cross-cultural differences or similarities. Lastly, we will draw from our ownpersonal experience. The final course project will be to develop a personal narrativethismay be the student's own narrative or the narrative of a person of their choosingthatexamines one's beliefs and values drawing on the material covered in the class. Wewill also try to invite some guest speakers for a more personal account of cross-culturalexpenences.7

8:00 (Honors) Peak Oil and BeyondIt can be argued that a "Good Society" cannot be achieved without abundant andrelatively cheap sources of energy. Yet it is the scientific conclusion of many highlyrespected geologists, chemists and investment bankers that world oil production will peaksometime during your years in college and after that will decline. Yes, you may, indeed,entertain your grandchildren by describing how a gasoline station looked and worked.This course will objectively examine the world's current total fossil fuel energy reservesand production, usage patterns and the environmental consequences of the dependence onfossil fuels. We will also compare different predictions about near and far-term energyscenarios. Alternative sources of energy such as nuclear and non-conventionalhydrocarbons and renewable energies such as wind and solar photovoltaics will also bestudied. The underlying science and the environmental, economic, and societal impact ofthe future emergence of each potential energy source will be examined by lecture and byreadings. Since governmental policies are critical to development of alternative energysources, teams of four students will research and write a group paper advocating changesin government energy policy.8:00 Buddhist SocietiesBuddhist societies offer us fresh and invigorating perspectives on how people should livetogether. Buddhist rulers did not assume their political power in the same way as manyWestern monarchs did, that is they did not rely on force and military power, but rather, itwas due to their moral virtues that they rose to high positions in government. Thisattitude toward the government was reflected in how social issues were traditionallyresolved in the Buddhist societies. From criminal justice to suicide, robbery, abortionand prostitution, it was always the principle of the ahimsa-causing the least amount ofharm to all parties involved-which has been used to resolve the crisis. In this seminar,we will talk about issues pertaining to understanding how to organize our societies in abest possible way, and by doing so we will raise again most, if not all, of questions fromPacific Seminar 1. However, this time, the answers will come from the greatest Buddhistteachers of Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Tibet and Japan and the historical lessons whichthese Buddhist societies offer to modem humankind.8:00 And Justice for AllWhat obligations do citizens owe each other? What obligations does society owe itscitizens? This course will explore the relationship between the rule of law and the goodsociety. The course will focus on how the law is organized and applied and the particularmoral and philosophical issues that are raised in the context of legal dispute. Studentswill be encouraged to think through actual legal debates-many of them still alive in thecourts. The course will be divided into three sections. The first section will concernobligations which arise under civil law. The second section will cover obligations whicharise under criminal law. The final section of the course will concern the obligations thatsociety owes its citizens under constitutional law. Initial discussions on legal practice,legal reasoning, and the nature of law are followed by close readings of actual cases.8

Students will also analyze relevant works in philosophy and contemporary jurisprudence.In addition to numerous philosophical and legal readings, students will analyzesignificant legal cases including Tarasoff v. Regents of University of Cal~fornia, People v.Goetz, Brown v. Board of Education, Korematsu v. United States, Roe v. Wade, and manyothers. Students will be evaluated by their ability to apply their knowledge to real worldsituations. They will participate in a group exercises that will be based on resolvinghypothetical problems relevant to the readings. After each section of the course there willbe a class debate, mock trial, or formal oral presentation.9